In September, thousands of Catholics from all over the world
will gather in Philadelphia for the Vatican-sponsored World
Meeting of Families. We Little Sisters of the Poor are
looking forward to participating in this great event, the
culmination of which will be a Mass celebrated by Pope
Francis. In preparation for the World Meeting, our Holy
Father has been dedicating his weekly audiences to family
issues, including the role of the elderly in family life.
In contemporary Western culture, the most common form of
family is the small nuclear family unit. In more traditional
societies, however, the ideal family is comprised of several
generations. According to a recent survey by the American
Association of Retired Persons (AARP), 66 percent of American
grandparents live more than 25 miles away from their
grandchildren; 75 percent wish they could see their
grandchildren more often.
In one of his Wednesday audiences, Pope Francis deplored as a
mortal sin the neglect of the elderly by younger family
members who, he said, give in to a mentality of impatience,
indifference or contempt. "How easily the conscience falls
dormant when there is no love!" he said.
In contrast to such attitudes, our Holy Father advocated for
what he called "a culture of closeness to the elderly, a
disposition of warm and supportive companionship in this
final phase of life." He urged the faithful to "reawaken the
collective sense of gratitude, of appreciation, of
hospitality, which makes the elder feel like a living part of
his community."
Speaking directly to the elderly, he encouraged them to
resist the temptation to become closed in on themselves. "How
awful is the cynicism of an elderly person
who
scorns the young and does not communicate the wisdom of life!
How beautiful, however, is the encouragement an elderly
person manages to pass on to a young person who is seeking
the meaning of faith and of life! It is truly the mission of
grandparents, the vocation of the elderly. The words of
grandparents have special value for the young. And the young
know it."
The traditional role of grandparents - giving unconditional
love and passing on family, cultural and religious values -
is more needed than ever in our highly connected yet overly
distracted world.
Speaking of connections, an array of online resources exists
to help grandparents make the most of their privileged role
in the family. AARP, the American Grandparents Association
(AGA) and the England-based Catholic Grandparents Association
are just a few of the organizations offering advice and
practical resources to seniors.
The Catholic Grandparents Association asserts that
grandparenting is a great vocation: "Our title 'grandparent'
is surely one of honor. 'Grand' is a word that signifies
importance
What could be greater or more important
than our vital task of handing on to future generations the
values, skills, accomplishments of the past, enhanced by the
additions and improvements of our own time?
When, as
believing Christian grandparents, we talk of our special role
in the handing on of the faith,
it becomes a
calling, a calling from God
a vocation. It's the
vocation that gives meaning to our later years, when our
strength starts to wane and our powers to decline
. As
well as being great and important, this is a happy vocation,
something to be welcomed and celebrated, something which
lights up both our own later life and the early lives of our
grandchildren."
But grandparenting also can be a demanding and delicate task.
The Catholic Grandparents Association suggests that the
presence and example of grandparents should be "unobtrusive,
never overbearing, always respectful of the rights and values
of others. It involves always being at hand when needed, but
never imposing oneself, never interfering. Knowing when to
offer a helping hand or a word of advice, but also knowing
when to stand back."
As we look forward to the feast of Jesus' grandparents, Sts.
Joachim and Anne, on July 26, may those of us who are younger
take time out of our summer schedule to spend time with our
grandparents and other elders in our families. And for those
of you who are grandparents, call upon the intercession of
Sts. Joachim and Anne for the graces you need to fulfill your
great and happy vocation.
Sr. Constance is director of communications for the Little
Sisters of the Poor.